Manic: Confessions of a Wife

Manic Book 1: Chapter 8

As Savannah walks into Lori's office, Lori greets Savannah with a warm "Good morning Savannah!"

Savannah responds with a simple "Morning," and instead of sitting on the sofa as usual, she takes a seat in the chair.

Lori notices this change and asks, "Where's Malik? Is he on his way?" To which Savannah replies with a shake of her head, "Nope, just me and you today."

Lori's concern is evident as she asks, "Okay...is everything okay?"

"I gave you the benefit of the doubt, I really did. Despite my marriage not improving since you've been advising us, I convinced myself that it just takes time. I caught you and Valerie having lunch together. I mean, it pissed me off and made you look sneaky, but I told myself that you can be friends with whoever you want. But now, you're getting involved with my side dude? Just say you wanna get active so I can beat your ass and go on with my day!"

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse me my ass! What the fuck is wrong with you Lori? Your whole married ass knowingly went after a man I told you about in confidence! Every time I confided in you about my cheating, you made me feel guilty for it, yet here you are doing the same thing!"

Lori stands up and gets in Savannah's face, "You have no idea what you're talking about! I never slept with him!" She shakes her head in disbelief. "You're just trying to justify your own actions by accusing me of the same thing. It's pathetic."

"I don't believe you!!"

Lori goes to close the office door, "Wesley is lying about us having sex! The whole thing was a lie, okay?"

"Say what now?" She grabs her phone, "This wasn't supposed to come out! . I found him on Instagram and started liking a few of his stories. I know I shouldn't have even did that but eventually, he DM'd me. Asked how I knew him and was getting suspicious of me. Once I told him I was your therapist, he calmed down, and we had a casual conversation. A few days later, he asked if we could talk privately; we went incognito and started confessing how much he loved you. He was convinced that you loved him but didn't want to admit it because you were married. I started feeling guilty."

"Girl, if you don't get to the got damn point!" Savannah exclaimed impatiently.

Lori took a deep breath before continuing her story. "We made it up. He wanted to do it to see how jealous you'd get. I swear we didn't do anything. Here's the messages."

Savannah scrolls through the messages, revealing that Lori was telling the truth. "That son of a bitch," she whispered loudly. She then turned to Lori, her expression confused and angry. "Why would you do some dumb shit like that?"

Lori shrugged, "Honestly, I got caught up in his looks and I liked the attention he gave me. He swore up and down he wouldn't say anything."

Savannah's confusion turned into understanding. "And you trusted him because of what reason?"

"Did Wesley take drastic measure to get your attention? Yes! Did it work? Yes! "Did Wesley manage to get you to confess your true feelings for him?"

Savannah hesitates, unsure if she should divulge any information about him. If Lori was willing to do something deceitful just because he looks good; makes her wonder what else is she capable of? Women like her are not to be trusted.

She simply states that she and Wesley are on good terms but says nothing else.

"You don't trust me, do you?" Lori picks up on Savannah's guarded demeanor and defensive energy.

Lori couldn't help but admire Savannah's effortless confidence and undeniable sex appeal as she continued to talk. She couldn't deny her envy for Savannah's ability to deceive others so gracefully. "We all can't deceive people as flawlessly as you do," Lori said, her admiration tinged with a hint of resentment.

Savannah raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you trying to say?"

"It's just that you make lying and manipulation seem like child's play. You deceive people so effortlessly, as easy as saying your A, B, C's. It's a dangerous talent to possess, don't you think?" Lori's words laced in fear and awe.

"So you think I'm a manipulator? Is it my fault that men fall so easily for a woman like me? Having impeccable pussy isn't manipulation sweet," she leans in, "It's a blessing that few women see. Don't start something you can't finish..."

Lori is on the verge of snapping back at Savannah's entitled attitude, but she knows she's already on thin ice with her. The constant drama between Savannah and Malik is starting to become too much for her to handle, and she's considering stepping down as their therapist.

"Meaning what Savannah?" Lori takes a deep breath, trying to keep her cool.

"Mind your own damn business and do your job! You're my therapist, so act like it." Savannah's tone is sharp and dismissive, leaving Lori feeling disrespected and unappreciated.

"Savannah, are you afraid of your seemingly perfect life crumbling before your eyes? Nothing in life is perfect, and things are often not what they seem. You're losing more than you think," she warns.

"The only thing I'm losing is my patience with you and all of this drama. Just have Malik move back in with me so we can put an end to this, you understand?"

"It's not my fault that he doesn't trust your supposed faithfulness, Savannah. He's not a foolish man."

"I know he's not; that's why I married him," she says as she grabs her sunglasses from her purse and opens the door. "Me and Malik will be back next week to see you. You better have another plan to bring my husband back into our home."

"You really expect me to convince him you haven't cheated or are still cheating on him? Only God can work miracles."

She lightly laughs, "That was cute. Oh, and the whole conversation you had with Wesley? If I ever find out you really fucked Wesley, I'm beating the fuck outta you." She puts on her sunglasses and slams the door as she leaves.

Lori sits in stunned silence, trying to process all that has just happened. While she knows she's not completely innocent in the ongoing drama, she never could have imagined it would escalate to this level.

Trusting Wesley was just one of the many mistakes she made. After witnessing Savannah's intense reaction to simply speaking with him, Lori fears the truth about sleeping with Wesley may come to light. She quickly messages him, requesting they talk, pleading for him to call her as soon as possible.